Brother Hydra

Peter stepped into the kitchen to get a soda from the fridge, he stopped when he noticed one of the notes on the door was for him.

Peter, please go to the attic and get my old pink scarf from one of the boxes.

I’m sure you know which one I’m talking about.

When you find it, set it on the table for me.

Thank you, Baby.

He smiled at the note, though it is embarrassing Peter loves how Aunt May calls him her baby. He grabbed his soda and headed for the attic. Reaching the attic door he finished half his drink and set the can on the small table in the hallway. Pulling the latch open Peter climbed up the ladder and into the attic, coughing a bit as dust hit his nose taking a second to chase away the tiny specks assaulting his face he started rummaging through boxes looking for Aunt May’s scarf. The minutes ticked by as Peter continued searching the boxes. 

I know it’s in here somewhere?

Peter thought to himself trying to remember which box he’d last seen the scarf in. A few more minutes went by as Peter is digging through his third box when he found what he was looking for. He pulled out the long seashell pink, silk, beaded scarf. Peter congratulated himself for a job well-done and turned to leave.

Mission Accom-Ouf! Peter had not been paying attention and tripped over another box he’d hadn’t seen and landing flat on his face. ... Ow.

He rolled onto his back and sat up rubbing his throbbing nose he glared at the culprit. The lid was half open, leaning in to close it he saw the words written on top..

Peter Benjamin Parker

Peter beamed already knowing what’s inside and without a second thought he picked up the box and scarf and headed down the ladder. As instructed Peter set May’s scarf on the den’s table and ran up to his room with the box shutting the door behind him. Excited he sat down on the floor in front of his bed and removed the lid revealing the contents of the box. Inside are a mash of items he remembered from his childhood back when his parents were still alive. Sitting on top of everything is a stuffed teddy bear wearing a blue shirt with his name spelled across it. His parents had bought it for him on the day he was born. Peter picked up the bear a held it close tears already forming in his eye.

He set the bear down on the floor next to him and continued pulling out all his old toys even his old Iron Man helmet and repulsor gloves. The same ones he wore to his first Stark Expo where he had gotten an autograph from Mr. Stark and standing up to a giant killer robot thinking that a six year old can easily match up to a giant robot with only a toy helmet and gloves with little lights on them. But hearing his hero tell him “Nice work kid.” For Peter that was the best day of his entire life. Back then he was just a normal kid fanboying over his favorite superhero and now he is one. Peter let out a choked sob realizing just how far he had come from being a normal kid to becoming a superhero and working alongside his idol in a team of the world’s mightiest heroes...and he’s one of them. He’s living every kid’s dream. Peter wiped away the tears that fell and set the helmet and gloves down with his other toys then turned back to look in the box. He looked down seeing a video camera and a lot of videotapes. Taking the camera in his hand Peter picked up the first tape and read the words on the small piece of white tape...

Daddy’s Mistake

..ok so this one is about Dad..but what’s the mistake..and do I want to know…

Curious and a little nervous Peter popped the tape into the slot and pressed play. The video started and the first thing he notices is that they’re in his parents’ house, tears already welling up once more at the memory of their old house. 

“Aww look at my two boys playing together.” the woman’s voice off screen cue at the sight of Richard laying on the couch softly bouncing a little baby Peter on his chest.

“Hi sweetie. Are you playing with daddy?” the woman’s voice cued softly zooming in on Peter’s chubby face. The baby replied by puking all over his dad’s face, “Oh my god!” Richard sat up immediately spitting and sputtering trying to get the awful mess out of his mouth all while his wife laughed at him behind the camera.

“This is what happens when you shake a baby up too much after he eats dinner. Ahahaha you feel better sweetie.”

The video ended and Peter laughed so hard he could hardly breath. He continued on watching more videos laughing and feeling some comfort in seeing his parents’ faces again but wishing that they were still alive.

After the sixth video ended Peter reached inside to pull out another one when his hand landed upon something that definitely wasn’t a video tape. He pulled it out and as the item came into view he had almost dropped the camera. Staring in shock as he held in his hand another teddy bear exactly like his. Except the name on the shirt was not his… “Bryan.”

Peter stared at it in confusion…

Bryan? Who’s Bryan? And why do my parents have a bear exactly like one they gave me with someone else’s name on it? I-I don’t get it-I don’t understand! Wait...wait maybe there’s a logic explanation. Maybe “Bryan” was a the name they first picked out for me but in the end decided on a different one and-then...why not just have the name changed instead of buying a completely new bear. No that’s not- that don’t sound right. Did..did mom and dad have another son?...But then where is he?! Why isn’t he here?! If I had a little brother what happened to him?! Did..did he..not survive? N-no it can’t be! He must have survived if he didn’t why would they buy another one? He has to be alive! But then...where is he now? Did he runaway? No why would he mom and dad were the best. Yes they had times when they were just too busy to spend time together. But they were good parents and they never ever hit me. There was no reason for him to want to runaway. So there has to be another reason why. Why he’s not here...but...what is it? Was he...did he…

Peter shook his head as his mind whirled with so many thoughts of what might have happened to his brother. He looked back down at the bear noticing something attached to it. A small red ribbon tied around its neck with an envelope hanging loose from it. Nervous and shaky Peter untied the ribbon and set the bear next to his, now holding the envelope in his shaky hands he stared at it, his name written on the front. Taking a few deep breaths he calmed himself and opened it.

Inside were two things the first obviously a photo, Peter pull it out and immediately the tears returns to his eyes. The photo was of the day he was born. They were all in the hospital, Dad, Aunt May and Uncle Ben were all gathered around Mom’s bed as she was holding not one but two babies. Peter stared at the two babies, he could tell the one on the right was him which means the one on the left has to be Bryan. Bryan’s hair looks to be a bit of a lighter brown than his and Bryan’s eyes were also a darker blue to his own. But other than that the two of them look exactly alike almost like…

A-a twin. I had a twin. Peter hiccuped, taking one more look at the photo before setting it on his lap and pulling out the letter his mom left.

So not only did I have a brother but a twin brother, Peter wiped away his tears once again as he stared down the severely folded pieces of paper in his hands that made up moms letter. Now. Where is he? He unfolded the letter and read the words aloud in his head…

Dear Peter,

If you’re reading this letter now then it means that May and Ben told you. But if they didn’t and you just happened to find this, don’t be mad at them. Believe me we were going to tell you but we had wanted to wait until you were 18 to sit down with you and tell you everything.

Now I’m sure your were very confused as to why we had a second bear like the one we had given you with someone else’s name on it and you have seen the photo. You’re a smart boy so I’m certain you have already figured out that you have a twin brother and you want to know why he’s not here. Well I’m going to tell you but please don’t get mad at your aunt and uncle for not telling you sooner. We were scared as to how you would take it. Well here it is.

Your brother’s name was Bryan William Parker, on my first ultrasound your father and I were shocked to see we’d be having twins but we were happy nonetheless. We had come up with so many names it was hard to decide especial since we didn’t know the gender. May had suggested me and your father do the cake thing. If you don’t know what that is, well we’d have the doctor write down the gender of the babies on an envelope then we take it to a bakery where the baker will dye the cake pink or blue depending on what the gender is. I’m sure you can guess what color it was. Both your father and uncle were excited the babies will be boys talking about sports and taking you two to ballgames. But I knew my babies even before you were born and I knew that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

When it came time and you boys were ready to come into the world it didn’t take long for your aunt and uncle to get there. And when the two of you arrived we were all so so happy to see you boys. You were both so cute and when you opened your eyes you looked right up at us with those beautiful blue eyes. The two of you were exactly alike the only differences that Bryan’s hair was a bit of a lighter brown in comparison to yours and you had light blue eyes while your brother had dark blue. But other than that you two were identical twins. But the one thing that really made my heart melt that day happened when you boys looked at each other for the first time. Right away there was a connection that just seem to spark and then you just lifted up your tiny little hands to touch the other’s. And once they touched you both giggled so happily that it was so clear to all of us that you boys would never be separated.

Or at least that’s what we thought.

When the two of you were taken into the nursery you were both put in the same bed. The nurses explained that you boys would start crying if you were put in separate beds despite them being right next to each other. We all laughed about it, but that laughter didn’t last long. You boys were the last babies to be put in that nursery meaning all the beds were full and they could not hold another baby and would have to take him or her to the next one which was on the next floor, so we were lucky for that.

But not that lucky, you boys were only in there for three hours when it happened. Though we were not sure exactly what happened but all of sudden the alarms just started going off and your uncle being the cop that he is went with security to investigate. After what felt like forever he came back to the room and hugged May and when I saw the tears in his eyes I knew something was wrong. He told us that half of the babies in the nursery were gone and Bryan was one of them.

I don’t remember much about what happen next because after your uncle said those words the whole world just froze for me right there. I had just lost one of my babies someone had taken him from me and I will never see him again. I was a mess and I didn’t want anyone trying to comfort me I just wanted my babies, both of them and when the nurse brought you in I took you in my arms right away and never wanted to let go I didn’t want to lose you too. You were my only baby left and I would never let anyone take you away from me.

Ben had called it in and within minutes the entire floor was flooded with police and detectives. I’m sure you remember Officer Derek Sheen, Ben’s partner was there as well. I was still a little fragile while you were asleep in my arms you were crying when the nurse brought you in and she said you had been like that when one of them came into the nursery to check on all the babies. You had not stopped crying for hours until you finally tried yourself out.

That was how you were for almost a month after we brought you home. It got so bad the neighbors started complaining about all the crying saying it wasn’t normal for a baby to be crying that much. One neighbor had even called child service because of it. The CPS showed up at our door one day and accused us of child abuse saying that no baby would cry that much unless the parents were doing something to cause it. It’s a good thing your uncle was there at the time because your father came so close to punching that guy out. They demanded we have you checked out by a doctor for any “unusually” bruising and I was so scared that I would have you taken away too. But Ben had told us not to worry because he knew they won’t find anything that says I hit my baby and if they try say anything different he can and will arrest them for admitting false information. So we did it and the pediatrician said you were 100% healthy. But I still knew something was wrong and even though I knew exactly what it was I still needed a second opinion. I asked him why you were constantly crying and what he said conformed what I had suspected. Despite how young you were, you were well aware of what was wrong, you knew that something that someone was missing. That’s why you were always crying you knew Bryan gone and you hated it, you were crying for him you wanted your brother back. Ben promised us that he will never stop looking until he finds Bryan and I trust him and I’m certain he’s still searching.

And I pray that one day you two will find your way back to each other.

We love you Peter and I’m so sorry we had to leave you, but your father and I know that Ben and May are taking great care of you.

Bye baby, and again I’m sorry.

Love Mom.

Peter sat there tears flooding his eyes and his hands trembling after reading the letter. Without saying anything he grabbed both bears hugging them as close as he could not wanting to let them go and he just sat there crying replaying every word of the letter over and over in his head trying to comprehend what he’d just read.

I-I had a brother...a twin and he was taken away from me...and for what?! I don’t even know? I’ve fought super villains, monsters, and space aliens and everytime I think things couldn’t get worse. But of course old Peter Parker luck it does! But-but this...this is worst than all my battles put together! I had a twin! And I lost him! Before I ever got a chance to know him!...Why me? Why do these things always happen to me? Why do I always lose people? My parents, Uncle Ben, and now Bryan...my twin?...We were only babies so...why? Why do I always lose people? What did I do to have them taken away from me?

Peter continued to cry he was so lost in thought that he hadn’t heard Aunt May calling his name or notice her standing in his doorway. Until he felt a hand touch his shoulder and he slowly turned to look at his aunt. She pulled him into a hug and began rubbing his back.

“Aunt May? Did...did I do something wrong?”

Shocked Aunt May looked down at Peter but he didn’t look back.

“My goodness Peter, No! What would ever make you think that?!”

“Then why are the people I love always being taken away from me?”